Kevin Gausman makes bold statement against the Yankees after latest series

Kevin Gausman has been one of the few consistent Blue Jays players up to this point of a season which is not currently going to plan. He has eight quality starts in 10 outings, while also leading all pitchers in strikeouts and WAR.

Aside from his talent and work ethic, Gausman is also pushed/motivated by an extremely competitive mindset. As a result, Blue Jays fans will not be surprised to hear he is still angry about what happened during the recent four-game series with the Yankees.

More specifically, Yankees starter Domingo Germán's cheating by using an illegal substance. He was subsequently ejected from the game by home plate umpire James Hoye, but not before completing a perfect first three innings.

A sticky situation

Unlike the controversy surrounding Aaron Judge, there was no doubting Germán cheated. This is also not the first time he has been caught with a sticky substance on his hand, and by the very same umpiring crew no less.

Hoye commented that the substance was shiny and extremely; the stickiest hand he'd ever felt. To say it left an impression is an understatement, both literally and figuratively.

Certainly, it's not something Gausman is going to forget anytime soon. Speaking to members of the media including the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley, he said:

There was a lot going on and a lot of emotions. There’s frustration. I think there’s anger. ... Obviously the guy over there was cheating and for three innings, dominated us. So we feel like they owe us three innings.

Influencing the final outcome

Certainly you can appreciate why Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays players feel like this, after the Yankees won the game in question 6-3. If Germán hadn't cheated, the final outcome could have potentially been different.

By the same token, as much as Gausman was not impressed with Germán cheating, you get the feeling he was angry in general. Losing three of four games in a series versus your biggest divisional rivals is never going to sit very well with a player.

In this respect, the 2012 fourth overall draft pick feels the Blue Jays should have gotten more from the series. He said:

We were fired up and we wanted to beat them, obviously. I felt like we played good enough the last couple of games to beat them. Every time we play them it’s going to be a battle of emotions, but also two really good teams.

Every game counts

As much as some may argue it was just one game where the cheating (definitely) occurred, it could make all the difference come season's end. As recently as 2021 the Blue Jays missed out on a wild card spot by just one game, despite winning 91 times.

Looking ahead, Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays must try to find a way to channel the injustice more productively. They certainly need something to inspire them, entering Tuesday's action on a five-game losing streak and propping up the AL East.